DANCE & WELLNESS: 2017 Instructors

If you want a quality, diverse event for today’s modern dancers – then you need to reflect that in the instructors you hire. SFD believes that the Dance & Wellness Two Day Intensive program is as popular and as successful as it is in large part to the instructor we attract and retain for our dancers.

Here is a brief bio page of our 2017 team that just completed the Sep 30 & Oct 1 workshop.

Afonso and Nicola Silveira, East Coast Swing Co-Founders of Royal City Swing, Afonso and Nicola have been teaching swing together for over 15 years. Throughout their years of dancing they have performed, competed, choreographed, run weekly dances, workshops and weekend events.

You can regularly find them at Royal City Swing, their dance that runs every Friday night in New Westminster which includes a beginner friendly lesson.

Alison Lloyd, Pilates Alison’s passion for Pilates began about five years ago when she signed up for Pilates training with Anita Seiz on a whim. It completely changed her body! It has helped her to move and breathe better, to feel strong and lean, and very connected to her body.
Alison is also a yoga teacher, a mom of three amazing children and a lifelong learner.

Expect Pilates to help you to stand tall and in your power, and be in control of your body through graceful and balanced exercises to take your dance practice to another level.

Anett Roland, BollyX Anett is originally from Germany but now living in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Being active has always been a part of her life and she also loves to dance. She started teaching Zumba® in April 2012, to bring in her love for fitness and also her passion for helping others to develop healthy lifestyles into class.

In April 2016 Anett joined the BollyX® family and she is super excited to share this new passion with YOU!!!!
Working out is now something to look forward to because it is fun and exciting! It is an amazing experience to come into a class and connect with other people through music, dance, and fitness in a safe and encouraging atmosphere. Come try it, I guarantee you will have a lot of fun! She is looking forward to meet you! BollyX member since April 2016

Dale Adamson, Folk Dancing Dale Adamson discovered Surrey International Folk Dancers (SIFD) in the year 2000, beginning her life-long love of dance. In 2003, Dale joined Burnaby Folk Dancers, and started learning their dances in order to teach them in Surrey. In 2005, Dale started attending the annual Salt Spring Island Folk Dance Festival. When the Salt Spring Island Folk Dance Festival ended in 2013, Dale was instrumental in founding the annual Lyrids Folk Dance Festival which has been held in Burnaby every April since 2014. In addition to these local festivals, Dale has attended Folk Dance weekends and camps throughout Canada and USA. Thus, she has learned hundreds of dances from several internationally acclaimed instructors of dances from a variety of countries.

Dale learns these dances then turns around and teaches many of them here in Surrey. As well as being the primary teacher in Surrey, she is an occasional teacher at the Burnaby International Folk Dancers Club and teaches in the community when requested. She also organizes a group of dancers who demonstrate folk dancing in the community. Over the years, Dale has demonstrated and/or taught folk dancing at community festivals, birthday parties, retirement homes, schools, libraries, shopping malls, Trinity Western University, housing complexes, community events, parades, and local businesses.

Most folk dances are easy enough that they are suitable for all ages and require no special training to learn. One year ago, Dale taught Balkan dances to the dance students at the Surrey Festival of Dance. After learning a variety of dances, the Junior class performed Bregovsko Horo from Bulgaria, and the Senior class performed Tocul from Romania.

Juilia Bazso, Jazz Juilia began dancing at the age of three. She has trained in a variety of disciplines at Spiral Dance for over 15 years and trained at The Arts Umbrella in their summer dance Intensives.

Professional experience and credits include: My Fair Lady (RCMT), 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Opening Ceremonies, Salagia: 7 Gifts for Clara, numerous films and TV shows such as “Motive” (ABC), “Destination America” and The Disney Channel. Juilia was also hired by Disney Cruise Line as a dancer fulfilling two contracts with the Walt Disney Company. In her most recent contract she was part of the re-opening cast for Disney Cruise Lines flag ship the Disney Magic (Re-Imagined).

She is currently a member of the Surrey Dance Company where she performs at corporate and community events across the Lower Mainland. Along with performing, she loves to share her passion for dance through teaching and has been fortunate to share her craft with dancers across the province.

Jazz is the style that made Juilia fall in love with dance and she is so excited to share her love for Jazz with the students at the Dance and Wellness Workshop! She hopes that the students enjoy the energetic jazz piece she has created for them as much as she has enjoyed teaching it to them! Thank you for leaving all of your talent and hard work on the floor dancers!! Juilia is so excited!

Kayla Dunbar, Musical Theater Kayla is an actor, choreographer, emerging director, and the Artistic Associate at Carousel Theatre for Young People. Last year Kayla made her professional directing debut with The Jungle Book and this year she made her professional writing debut with Good Day & Good Night.

Keiran Bohay, Tap Keiran Bohay was raised in the small town of Wainwright, Alberta. There he took his first tap class at age eight and instantly fell in love with performing. He then began training in various dance styles such as jazz, lyrical, hip hop and ballet. At the age of thirteen he took a brief break from dance festivals to perform in The Citadel Theatre’s production of Peter Pan and Oliver!, giving him his first taste of professional work.

After graduation Keiran moved to Edmonton, Alberta where he advanced his dance technique under Shelley Tookey. Keiran progressed quickly and made his move to Vancouver to train with The Source Dance Company, under direction of Joanne Pesusich. His talent did not go unnoticed and after only a short time in Vancouver, he took over a few drop-in classes teaching at Harbour Dance Centre under Pam Rosa and Moe Brody. Throughout his time in Vancouver he has gone on to Choreograph Tap, Contemporary, Broadway, and Jazz for local training programs such as ITP (Intensive Training Program), Source Dance Company, and Aviary. He has performed Musical Theatre with the Arts Club (Mary Poppins) and gone on to dance in many hit TV series and movies (CW’s the Flash, Disney’s Descendants, ABC’s Once Upon A Time, CW’s No Tomorrow).

Known for his energy, comedic personality and unique style, Keiran has gone on to teach throughout western Canada, and can’t wait to share his passion with you!

Keri Minty, Auditioning Keri is currently a dance and movement instructor for Capilano University’s Musical Theatre and Acting Programs. Keri Minty also teaches, performs and choreographs throughout Metro Vancouver.

Lina Fitzner, Movement Exploration Lina Fitzner received her training at both Arts Umbrella and Ballet BC’s Mentor Program. Since her graduation Lina has had the great opportunity to work with some of Vancouver’s finest choreographers as both a dancer and rehearsal director. As a choreographer she has worked with students and professionals in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island and has shown her work at Dances for a Small Stage, The Dance Centre, VIDF, DOTE and On the Boards in Seattle.

Lina has been teaching at Arts Umbrella for thirteen years and is currently on staff at Vancouver Film School in the acting department.

Linda Gordon, Anatomy of Dance Dr. Linda Gordon is a chiropractor who has been practicing in North Surrey for over 30 years. A former dancer herself, she appreciates the dedication and physical commitment involved in dance. Dr. Gordon has experience in treating many dance injuries, from acute injury to chronic movement related dysfunction.

She teaches Pilates and is certified in several movement assessment and treatment techniques. Her favorite time of year is volunteering for the Surrey Festival of Dance where you can find her sitting with the adjudicator, writing the assessments.

Lisa Rose Metz, Contemporary “VOTED #1 DANCE AND WELLNESS 2016” Lisa’s diverse passion for Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary and Hip Hop create the ground work for her career and unique artistry. Based in Vancouver BC, Lisa has vast experience ranging from dancing on TV and in music videos to performing on stage in New York and LA.

Lisa has also had the pleasure of choreographing and directing her first full length contemporary show entitled Three. As well as most recently Co-Choreographing JC Penny’s back to school commercial featuring Jordyn Jones.

In recent years Lisa has been gaining much attention for her Choreography and is well recognized for her individuality and unique style. Lisa has been part of Shay Keubler Contemporary Dance Collective Radical System Art, as well as Vancouver’s The Darlings’ Cabaret burlesque show. She has also proudly worked with Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond (Modus Operandi), Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson (Complexions Contemporary Ballet), Josh Beamish, Heather Laura Gray, Super Dave, Hollywood, Jen Oleksiuk, Tasha Gorrie, Shotyme, as well as Legend and Link to name a few. Lisa continues creating, working and training with choreographers and companies while exploring her passion for dance.

Natasha Gorrie, Hip Hop Natasha Gorrie has grown up in the hip hop dance scene since a young age. Her first brush with hip hop dance was when her mother taught her how to do the running man in the living room of their home. She began training at her mother’s dance studio at the age of eight, and that studio pioneered hip hop choreography in the Vancouver’s lower mainland. Ever since then, Natasha has had a love for the fundamentals of hip hop and funk styles. To round out her training, Natasha also trained in ballet, jazz, musical theatre and tap.

Natasha is a rare talent that has managed to excel in the professional dance industry, while building a well known and respected reputation in the underground dance community across Canada, and around the world. As a professional dancer, her credits include She’s The Man, Another Cinderella Story, Hellcats, The Magicians and So You Think You Can Dance Canada, music videos for DJ Tiesto , Son Real and Lady Sovereign, and commercials for Campbell’s Soup and Nestle Water. As a freestyler, she has battled around the world and has won numerous titles, and has taught and judged in India, Netherlands, Thailand, Greece, China and the USA.

Natasha is co-founder of the powerhouse female crew “Diamonds In The Rough” based out of Vancouver. As a group, they have travelled throughout the USA and Canada performing and training. She also owns her own hip hop freestyle training company in Vancouver. Her newest foray into the world of choreography has already lead to projects with Monsters of Dance, as well as music videos for Canadian musical artist Son Real.

Natasha loves to freestyle and feels at home in a battle. She is passionate about training and is constantly broadening her vocabulary in dance. Knowledge is key.

Peter Jorgenson, Vocal & Musical Theater Peter is a passionate musical theatre director, producer, actor, and educator. As an Artistic Producer for Patrick Street Productions Peter’s direction credits include Into the Woods, The Full Monty, Bat Boy: the Musical, A Little Night Music, and The Light in the Piazza (Jessie and Ovation Awards for Outstanding Production). Outside of PSP he has directed for the Arts Club, Chemainus Theatre, Persephone Theatre, and City Opera.

On stage he has performed leading roles on all major stages around BC and will be paying Lumiere in the upcoming Arts Club production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

A passionate educator, Peter teaches a master class series with PSP, is the founder and program director of the Arts Club Musical Theatre Intensive, and a frequent guest instructor for the Musical Theatre program at Capilano University.

Rhonda Cooper(MPT, FCAMPT, acupuncture), Movement Fundamentals Rhonda works as a registered physiotherapist at Qi Integrated Health in Vancouver. She transitioned into physiotherapy after working for 14 years as a contemporary dancer. Upon completion of the Masters of Physical Therapy program at the University of British Columbia, Ms. Cooperwent on to complete her training in manual and manipulative therapy (FCAMPT), acupuncture, and the Integrated Systems Model with Linda Joy Lee and Diane Lee.

Ms. Cooper’s current interest is in bridging the gap between the scientific based knowledge privy to physiotherapists and the innovative thinking of dance artists. She has recently conducted qualitative research into injury prevention and excellence in dance.

Russell Shymski, Rhythm For Dancers Russell is a percussionist who specializes in Marimba and West African and Afro Cuban hand drums.

He has 31 years of professional performing and teaching experience and has traveled to West Africa five times to study with master drummers. He has also studied music at the University of Victoria and Vancouver Community College.
A long, long time ago, in the 1990’s, Russell accompanied, composed music, and toured with some of the top contemporary dance companies in Vancouver and Toronto.
Currently he teaches West African drumming (www.drumming.ca), performs locally and tours with bands.